6 Spending and Budgeting Habits To Embrace

Everyone says adulthood is a trap. I remember when I was a teen and I look at my big cousins and aunts, I always envy them. Been a child was so annoying and I couldn’t wait to grow up and be able to own my things. In my child mind, I find myself trying to help them analyze how much they receive every month, what they spend it on and how they ought to spend it more.

I feel they are really stingy when I ask them for money and they tell me they can’t assist. In fact I tend to nurse this secret hate towards them for a long time. I kept asking myself why people will have money and not even try to spare an extra cash for another in distress.

How do you make so much money and find it so difficult to assist your little ones buy new phones, buy new clothes, take them to see a movie and all those fancy cute things without complaining?

Until I got older!

It is hard.

Especially when you are independent and you are trying to do something reasonable with your life. You worry about everything!

From your next meal, to utility bills, to data bundles, to clothing, feeding, transport if you don’t have a car, God help you you have a car – fuel, repairs; vacation, family support…the list is unending. And you find yourself spending and spending non stop.

Most times, before you get your next pay, you are already broke! And now, the cycle has changed. Your younger ones are looking up to you, waiting to receive an alert at the end of the month and you are waiting too for a miracle to help you live through the month until your next pay come through.

Despite having a budget for the next 3 months, understanding what I am going to be spending money on for these period, I still find myself going broke.

Why? You may be wondering as I find myself wondering too. This is because some emergency expense you can’t turn a blind eye to arises. Plus they say women never get tired of buying, even when they claim to be broke. Aside all these, our spending culture is alarming.

I have been doing lots of reading and asking questions on how to inculcate a good saving habit. Some I have tried, others I have read good review on and I hope it helps someone out there too.

1. Have an investment.

Farming these days helps a lot. You’d never know how much you can make from it, ask hardcore farmers. You could rear animals or grow crops. There’s an e-agric farm you can try. It is called Growcrops. What it entails is you sending money to the company who helps you manage a farmland. You have the choice of a crop and they’d do the rest. At the end of the season, they harvest and sell the crop on your behalf and then proceed to pay you what you have earned. Wise choice or nay? You can read more about them here.

You can also invest in properties if you have the means- land, gold, stocks, treasury bills among others.

2. Save for rainy days.

There’d be days when you’d have so much. Put away some for days when you won’t have at all. It would come in handy. You can save in banks that have no ATM or mobile banking. If you are like me and you don’t like going to the bank, you won’t be tempted.

3. Buy bonds and save in fixed deposits.

Speak to an asset or financial manager, stockbroker or your bank account officer . You can try those. Walk in and ask questions. What’s their interest rate like? What’s the maturity period? How does withdrawals work?

4. Don’t go out unless it’s really important.

You know all these girl’s outing you just want to go for the fun of it, cut them off. If it’s not necessary, don’t. That doesn’t mean you should hang out with your girls but cut out on the unproductive ones, especially. If you girls really wish to see, invite them to your place, cook some homemade delicacies, download some good movies you can see together and bond over some good movies and games. Save money and have fun, how about that?

5. Use Piggy hole

I recently started using Piggybank, stumbled on it on twitter, read about it and loved the idea instantly. Although, I am yet to start saving, I’m excited about starting proper.

I also got a piggy hole from a friend. It’s so pretty, unique and stronger than the usual piggy hole that we all know. You can purchase yours here.

Piggy Hole from Slayrite_Merchandise

6. Lastly, live within your means

The urge to live above our means can really be a struggle especially in this age and time of social mediaslay and pepper dem gang. Everyone strives to stay atop the game and look better than the next person thereby breaking a bank and running into debts to achieve this. Little do you know that the person you are struggling to outslay has a good saving and loads of investment in place and will not even be bothered about excessive spending, while you are doing yourself so much harm in the process.

It’s not too late to inculcate a good spending and saving habit. Try as much as possible to look back 3 months from today and be proud of how much you have achieved.

Which of this habits are you currently practicing? Which are you guilty of? What’s your spending habit like? What would you love to add? Join the discussion.

2018 is the year we safe money by God Grace. Saw the piggy bank thing on Twitter I just hope it doesn’t turn out to be like MMM. Wake up one day and all our money is gone Lol, because I really want to give it a trial but I’m scared man!!!!